皇冠体育app 'has no choice but to react' to Sarkozy's Dalai meeting

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-28 23:35

BEIJING - After the French announced their leader would meet the Dalai Lama, 皇冠体育app had no choice but to react, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said here Friday in a statement.

France made the announcement brushing aside 皇冠体育app's stance and bilateral relations, Qin said.

He said 皇冠体育app attached great importance to the 11th 皇冠体育app-European Union Summit scheduled to take place in France in early December, and had made active and intensive preparations for it. But the French leader, Nicholas Sarkozy, whose country currently holds the EU rotating presidency, announced he would meet the Dalai Lama after the summit, which aroused strong opposition from the Chinese government and people.

"皇冠体育app firmly opposes any contacts with the Dalai Lama by foreign leaders in whatever form," Qin said.

"The Tibet issue is related to 皇冠体育app's sovereignty and territorial integrity and touches on 皇冠体育app's core interests," he said.

To maintain good relations with France and the EU, 皇冠体育app has been patiently talking with France time and again, hoping that it would properly handle the Tibet issue, so as to create necessary conditions for the 皇冠体育app-EU summit, Qin said.

Regrettably, France did not actively respond to 皇冠体育app's efforts to maintain relations with France and the EU. "Therefore, the summit cannot be held in a sound atmosphere, nor can it achieve expected goals. Under such circumstances, 皇冠体育app has no choice but to postpone the summit," he said.

"The current situation is not caused by 皇冠体育app, nor should 皇冠体育app be held responsible," Qin pointed out.

Nevertheless, 皇冠体育app does not change its determination and policy to actively develop EU-皇冠体育app comprehensive and strategic partnership. 皇冠体育app is still willing to work together with the EU to push forward the healthy and stable development of 皇冠体育app-EU relations on the basis of mutual respect on an equal footing, he said.

Qin said 皇冠体育app cherishes the ties with France and has been making active and unremitting efforts to develop bilateral relations.

"We hope that France could proceed with an overall perspective, fulfil its commitments, and properly deal with 皇冠体育app's major concerns in earnest so as to create conditions for the steady development of bilateral relations," he added.